Key ring



Jan, 18, 1949. v, ANDERSON 3,459,4Q5

KEY RING Filed Nov. 8, 1944 lNVENTOR ATTORN EY Patentecl Jan. 18, 1949 ,1- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KEY nnvo Olof V. Anderson, Cowesett, R. 1. Application November 8,1944, Serial No. 562,497

Clalms. ((170-459) The present invention relates to the jewelry art, and has particular reference to a novel construction for a key ring.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel key ring which may be manually locked to prevent accidental loss or removal of keys therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide a key ring of the type having a spring pressed key retaining closure, with aYpositive lock device.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel key ring made of a small number of readily manufactured and easily assembled parts. 'With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, the invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more specifically defined in the claims appended thereto.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the key ring construction embodying the novel invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the hollow top therefor; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the key retained element and the cooperating closure element;

5 is a perspective view of the closure element spring;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the movable lock element;

Fig. '7 isa sectional detail showing the arrangement/of the parts when thekey ring is in locked position; and

Fig. 8 is .a view. similar to Fig. '7, the key ring parts beingshown in position for permitting insertion or removal of a. key.

It has been found desirableto provide a key ring ofthe type having a movable spring jaw, with a manually operable device which can be shifted to positivelylock the movable jaw in place, whereby loss or detachment of keys from the key ring is prevented. To this end, I have provided a movable lock element which may be manually shiftedjto positively lock the movable jaw in key retaining position, and which may be manually shifted to permit the movable jaw to openfor the insertion or the removal of a key from the key ring.

Referring to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, the novel key ring 10 includes a hollow top H, which may be stamped out of sheet metal or may be made of bakelite or other suitable material, and a key retainer l2 which is preferably formed as an 2 L-shaped wire having one end I 3 secured within the hollow top H and having the other end l4 extending upwardly towards and terminating below the hollow top II. A movable closure element l5 cooperates with the key retainer l2, and is pivotally mounted in the hollow top H by means of a pivot pin [6 seated in aligned openings ll in the side walls of the hollow top H, whereby the upper end l8 of the closure member is positioned within the hollow top and the lower end 19 of the closure member extends downwardly and is adapted to move into aligned contact with thekey receiving end I4 of the key retainer.

A coil spring 20, shaped as shown in Fig. 5, has one end 21 provided with a finger 22 which seats within a vertical slot 23 in the upper end [8 of the movable closure member, the other end 24 of the spring being bent slightly to normally rest against the roof of the hollow top II, as shown in Fig. 7. With the parts assembled as shown in Fig. '7, the closure member is spring pressed so as to always urge its lower end l9 into aligned contact with the key receiving end l4 of the key retainer} when the lower end I9 is pressed inwardly for the purpose of inserting or removing a key, the closure member assumes the position shown in Fig. 8, with the spring 20 compressed as illustrated and exerting a resilient pressure on the movable closure member to urge it back to closing position,

The above described construction permits the insertion or removal of a key by movement of the closure member against the tension of the spring 20; and it is preferred to provide a positive lock against accidental and unintentional movement of the closure member. To secure this advantageous result, a lock element 25, see Fig. 6, is mounted for sliding movement along the base of the hollow top H, and consists of a plate 26 and two parallel sides 21 and 28, the sides serving as supports for a resilient cross rod 29. The movable lock element 25 is preferably made of ornamental metal, and the front side 2'! may be ornamented in any desired manner. The sides 2'! and 28 are normally positioned on the exterior of the hollow top I l, and the cross rod 29 extends transversely through the hollow top I I in suitable aligned slots 30 in the sides thereof, whereby the movable lock element may be laterally shifted, as hereinafter described.

Referring now to Fig. 4, the upper end 18 of the closure element is provided with a notch 31, the end of the movable element being preferably beveled, the notch 3| being adapted to releasably receive the cross rod 29 of the movable lock elepermits opening movement of the closure meme I her. The cross rod 29 thus functions as a catch element which cooperates with the notch 3| as a catch element, for obtaining a releasablei lock, the improved construction providing a positive lock key ring.

While I have described a specific constructional v embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that changes in the size, the positioning, and the arrangement oi the "parts, and use of othermateri'als than those specified above, may be made normally urgingsa'id closure element into aligned contact with said key receiving end and yield ingly resisting turning movement of the closure element, whereby to permit insertion of a key over said key receiving end, and a latch device comprising a U-shaped frame, and a cross rod in said frame extending through aligned slots in the sides of the top, said closure element having a notch for releasably holding the frame cross rod.

2. In a key ring, a hollow top open at the bot:

tom, an L-shaped wire element having its upper portion secured in one end of the hollow top and extending downwardly, transversely and then upwardly towards the other end of the hollow top, a second wire element pivotally mounted in the other end of the hollow top and having one portion positioned in the hollow top and a second portion extending downwardly from the hollow top to seat on the upwardly extending portion of the L-shaped wire element,

spring means in said hollow top engaging the portion of the second wire element in' the hollow top to urge the second portion into seating .posi: tion, the portion of the second wire element in the hollow top having a latch notch, and a manually movable l'ock device slidably mounted in the hollow top and having a catch element movable intoand out of said latch notch.

3. In a key ring, a hollow top open atthe bottom, an L-shaped wire element having its upper portion secured in one end of the hollow top and extending downwardly, transversely and then upwardly towards the other end of the hollow top, a second wire element pivotally mounted in the other end of the hollow top and having one portion positioned in the hollow top and a second portion extending downwardly from the hollow top to seat on the upwardly extending portion of the L-shaped wire element, spring means in said hollow top engaging the portion of the second wire element in the hollow top to urge the second portion into seating position, the-portion iii the second wire element in the hollow top having a beveled end and a latch notch, and a manually movable lock device slidably mounted in the hollow top and having a resilient cross bar mova'ble over said beveled end and into and out of i said latch notch.

4. In a key ring, a hollow top open at the bot- 1 torn, an L-sha'p'e'd wire element having its upper portion fixedly secured in one end of the hollow top and extending downwardly, transversely and then upwardly towards the other end of the hol- 10w top and terminating below said hollow tpp other end, a second wife felenient pivotally mounted in the other end of the hollowtopand having an inner portidn positioned in the hollow top and an outer portion extending downwardly from the hollow top "to seat on the upwardly extending portion of the L-shapediiviYe element, and a coil spring positioned in "said hol'l'oii top adjacent the pivot'al mounting of the second w'ii'e element, said coil spring having "onefexteniied end secured to the inner "portion of said second wire element positioned in wenoiww top, and its other end also "extended "and engaging the roof or the hollow top.

In a keyring, a hollow top-open at the bottom, an L'-s'haped 'wire"e'leme'nt having 'itsfupper portion fixedly secured in one end of the hollow top and extending downwardly, transversely "and then upwardly towards the other end "of tnenoilow top and terminating below said h'ollo'w top other end, a second wire element piv'ot'ally l'ri'ounte'd'in "the other end of tnenoudw top and having an inner portion pdsitioned "in the hollow top and an outer portion extending downwardly from the hollow top to seato'n the upwardly extending portion of the L shap'ed wire element,

and a coil'spring positioned in said hollow 'to'p,

adjacent the pivotal mounting of the secondw'ire element, the inner portion oi said second wire element positioned in the hollow top having a retaining slot therethrough, said coil spring having fon'e extended 'e'n'd bent to seat into said slot and its other end also extended and engaging the roof of the hollow top. p I

OLOF VJANDERSON.

REFERENCES CITE-D The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED. STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 7 5 ,220 Reynolds Dec.. 29, 1374 656,233 Whitney Aug. 21, 12900 926,156 Wa'te'rhouse et a1. June 29,1969

1, 78,397 Freon Dec. 25, '192'3 1,724,003 Chamberlain Aug 13, 1'9'29 

